Growth of Muslim Population in Medieval India, A.D. 1000–1800 c20.s3.1

c20.s3.1

Another important component of growth of Muslim population in India was and is the higher fecundity among Muslims. Kingsley Davis rightly remarks that "in six decades (1881-1941)... at no census have the Muslims failed to improve their percentage and the Hindus failed to lose..." It is due not only to the "proportion of Muslim women married, but those who are married also have a higher fertility "⁴² Today every seventh man in the world is a Muslim,⁴³ and in this great rise of Muslim population their high fertility should have contributed its share. Dudley Kirk, after a detailed study of fertility among various nationalities and religious groups, too, has arrived at the conclusion that birth rate among Muslims is the highest.⁴⁴